As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men’s and women’s teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation’s journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. In today’s story we take a look at the United States women’s team, ranked #11 in the world.
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India women have enjoyed an outstanding 12 months, producing a level of consistency that has delivered top-two finishes in each of the last three competitions they have contested.
Their impressive run began at the Asia Cup 2025 in Hangzhou, where only hosts and eventual champions China managed to get the better of them. Navneet Kaur and 2022 FIH Young Player of the Year Mumtaz Khan scored six goals apiece as India claimed the silver medal, falling 4-1 to the Olympic silver medallists in the final.
A second silver medal followed six months later at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers on home turf in Hyderabad. Navneet Kaur was named Player of the Tournament and added four more goals to her ever-increasing international tally. India reached the final with three wins and a draw, defeating Uruguay and Wales either side of a 2-2 draw with Scotland before edging past Italy 1-0 in the semi-final. Although England secured a 2-0 victory in the title match, India’ss outstanding performances had already sealed their World Cup ticket.
Their most recent achievement may be the most impressive of the three. India won all five of their matches at June’s FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, securing promotion to next season’s FIH Hockey Pro League. With victories over United States (3-2), Japan (2-1), Uruguay (3-2), Chile (6-0) and hosts New Zealand (2-0), the first-place finish was hard earned and fully deserved. Deepika played a major role in that success, scoring six penalty-corner goals, while Lalremsiami, the 2019 FIH Young Player of the Year, was named Player of the Match in the final against the Black Sticks.
How they qualified: 2nd place – 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, Hyderabad (IND)
Notable honours: FIH Champions Challenge bronze medallists (2002), Commonwealth Games gold medallists (2002), Commonwealth Games silver medallists (2006), 4th place – Olympic Games (1980, 2021), Asian Games gold medallists (1982), Asian Games silver medallists (1998, 2018), 4x Asian Games bronze medallists (1986, 2006, 2014, 2022), 2x Asia Cup gold medallists (2004, 2017), 3x Asia Cup silver medallists (1999, 2009, 2025)
Rank in previous WC editions: 1974 – 4th, 1978 – 7th, 1983 – 11th, 1998 – 12th, 2006 – 11th, 2010 – 9th, 2018 – 8th, 2022 – 9th
Head coach: Sjoerd Marijne. Between 2017 and 2021, Marijne oversaw a transformative period for India women’s hockey, culminating in a remarkable fourth-place finish at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which were played in 2021. After stepping down following the Olympics to spend more time with his family, the former Netherlands women’s and India men’s head coach returned to the role in 2025. Having already made an immediate impact, he will be eager to leave his mark on the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup.
Quotes: Head Coach, Sjoerd Marijne: “We are looking forward to the WC as we see this as a new step with the team after the Nations Cup. We come with confidence and are ready to face the challenges ahead for us.”
Captain, Salima Tete: “Preparing for the World Cup is not just about sweating it out on the field; it is a continuous process of improving ourselves every day. With discipline, hard work and unity, the Indian team is fully prepared to make the nation proud at the World Cup.”
One to watch: Navneet Kaur. A key figure in India’s talented and dynamic forward line, Navneet possesses the pace, skill and creativity to unlock any defence. At the time of writing, she had scored 94 goals in 211 international appearances, while also providing countless assists since making her debut against Ireland in April 2014 at the age of 18.
FIH team / stats page: click here.
Hockey India website: hockeyindia.org X: @thehockeyindia Facebook: TheHockeyIndia Instagram: hockeyindia
The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 begins on 15 August, with both men’s and women’s teams in action on opening day across the Netherlands and Belgium. For more information on the competition including the competition format, pools and the complete match schedule, click here.
